Time-lock attachment.



H. C. STOCKWELL.

TIME LOCK ATTACHMENT. .APPLICATION man JUNE 27, 1914.

Patented July 27, 1915.

ijibf uuvib' Men/5C HERBERT C. STOCKWELL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TIME-LOCK ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27,1915.

Application filedJune 27, 1914. Serial No. 847,702.

To all whom. it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT C. STOCK- \VELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Ange les and State of California, have invented a new and useful Time-Lock Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an attachment for time locks, which will act to guard banks against daylight robberies,

being so constructed as to permit the safe containing reserve funds to be locked with the device and capable of being unlocked after the lapse of a predetermined interval, which interval will commence to run from the time when it is desired to open the safe to give access to the reserve funds. Vhile any time lock, of course, is capable of being set to run for a desired interval and to then allow the safe to be unlocked, such time lock is so constructed that it commences to run from the time the safe is locked. The present device, however, while capable of running for the desired definite interval, does not commence to run at the time the safe is locked, but commences to run at the time the first step is taken toward unlocking the safe, as, for example, by the slight movement caused by the lost motion of the locking bolts. Thus, during the night or over Sunday or holidays. the safe will be guarded by the usual time locks, and in opening the bank for business. the safe will be opened in the usual manner. Such funds as are desired for the usual run of business may be removed from the safe and placed on the counter. aml the reserve. funds which are not ordinarily needed will remain in the safe, and instead of leaving the safe unlocked. as is customary, the safe will be shut and locked with the present device set. if at any time during the day a robber demands money from the safe. it will be inmossible to comply with his request. because it will require. for example. one-half hour in which to open the safe. and this interval will frustrate the attempted robbery. ll'hcn such a demand is made. the cashier or other attendant can say that he will do everything possiblc to get the safe open. but that it will takc at least a half hour to open it. and may move the locking bolt to take up lost motion therein. which will release the attachmcnt and cause it to commence to run. and the dcvicc will then run for one-half hour. assuming it to have been et for that intcrval. aml at the expiration of such time, will permit the safe to be opened. If the robber waits during this interval. he runs a risk of being caught, as people will come into the bank, and the attendant will have opportunity to summon assistance. On the other haml, if during the days business a regular and lawful demand is made for funds. which must be taken from those stored, in the safe, the attendant can explain to the person desiring such funds that they will be given him in one-half hour, which is a reasonable interval and occasions no great inconvenience. The device is primarily intended for country banks, but is, of course, adapted to be used on any safe.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a safe provided with a circular door. Fig. 2 is a cross section on line a2 m Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the inner side of the door on an enlarged scale showing the attachment and time lock. Fig. 4 is an enlarged View in side elevation of the attachment. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line m sc", Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of device.

1 designates the body of the safe, and 2 designates a circular door provided with locking lugs 3, which engage in corresponding recesses in the body of the safe. 4 designates a locking dog, connected by means, well known in the safe making art and therefore not necessary to show and describe in detail herein. to the locking bolts 5. 6 designates the time lock, which may be of the usual construction with dial 7 and dctcnt 8 for shifting the dog 4. 9 is the balance wheel of the movement and 10 is the hair spring, all of which is of the usual construction.

The dial 7 may be set in the usual manner for any desired interval, through which the time lock is to run, and the present attachment is a device which is employed to prevent the time lock from running until such time as someone desires to open the safe, and which then acts to start the time lock running.

The attachment comprises a bolt 11, which carries on its end a line light wire 1'2, which bears against the balance wheel 9 in such a manner as to prevent the latter from turning. and to thereby hold the time lock movemcnt from running whilc the wire is in contact. The wire is so line that it cxcrts only a. gcntle pressure. and this docs not injure the the wire 12 moves with it, and withdraws the same from contact, thereby permitting the movement to run. At the same time,

a this withdrawal movement of the wire gives in the direction'ofthe arrow, Fig. 3. Pivf I 7 rated on a post21 is a lever 22, which is yield- 'ingly held against a stop an impetus to the movement by reason of the frictionalcontact of the wire 12 so that it insures the starting of the movement. The bolt 11 is notched at 16 at its upper end and engaged by a segmental rotary detent 17 mounted on a post 18, and rigidly secured I thereon is a small'ratchet 19. Beneath the rotary detent 17 is a coil spring 20, as clearly shown in'Fig. 5,-which acts to exert a rotative pressure tending to'turn the detent 17 pin 23 by' a flat on the rack 25.

' is a stationary lug on the body 'l' of the safe against which the upper end of the lever. 22 is moved as the door of the safe is ;rotated in its closed position, and the lu 30 is so located that during the last shght movement of the door, it presses against the; lever 22 and causes the lever 22 to be tilted" in a direction to draw the rack 25 to the right, Fig. 3, during which movement the beveled end 26 rides down on the roller 27 and permits the teeth to come in contact .with the ratchet 19 and click thereover as: the rack 25 is moved, so that when the, door is turned in a direction to open it, its first initial movement will move the lever 22 away. from lug 30, and will turn the detent' 17 in a direction opposite to the'arrow, and

will release the bolt 11, whereupon the spring 15 will move the bolt upwardly, and

cause the wire 12 to start the balance. wheel .9, and thus cause the time lock movement to commence operation. Before closing the safe the .bolt 11 should be moved down to 8 0 bring the wire 12 into contact with the balance wheel; This will permit the detent 17 to be moved by spring 20, so that it will engage notch 16 and prevent the bolt 11 from rising. The time lock having been wound and set for the desired interval, the safe door is then shut and locked, the closing move-.

ment swinging lever 22 to retract the rack 25 and bring it in contact with the ratchet 19. The parts remain in this condition with the ,timelock held from running by the wire 12.

When it is desired to open the safe, the door 2 is turned slightly in a direction to open it,

this slight movement being permitted by the lost motion in the locking bolts, and this movement of tlfe door allows lever 22 to be operated by spring 24, and it pushes the rack 25 to the left, Fig. 3, swinging the detent 17 permits the bolts to be unlocked and thedoor 1 opened.

Instead of operating the device by thelost j motion of the circular door, it may be op-' erated by the sliding motionof the locking bolt, used in connection'with a combination;

31 designates the locking bolt to which is rigidly secured anarm 32, and. pivoted to the-arm 32 is a lever 33, a fiat spring 3 1 beingprovided to hold the; arm 33 yieldingly against a pin 35 "carried on an arm 36 p'ivoted at 37 to the safedoor 38; A spring spring 24, andpivoted to the end of the lever i .22 isa rack 25 with ratchetflshaped' teeth-1} having a'beveled end 26, which bears againstj I fa roller 27 mounted on 'a' stationary "28, and spring 29 eXerts a downward. pressure 2 *jguide""in fwhich;the bot-.jfflfli-s slidably mounted, and spring 15 ftends to exert "an. upwardpressure on the bolt as inthe previ-f.

39 is provided for exertinga pressure on the arm36 tending to movefthe lower end there- 'slide against-fa'stationar ijpin42f 43 is a 'ousform. "The bolt is provided with wire this 'form, the parts as shown: in Fig. 6

1 lock,- as indicated inFigi"6.61'In this form,

fl fof to the right. The;- arnff33-hasfa lug 40 Yand abeveled; end 141,{whis h is'iada ted to a -12? adapted to actuate thebalance'il wheel 9. "1"

Yare'in the'position they'occupy afterhaving: 1. I

been set and before the. device-is released:

lock the door,- and"this motion moves the When it is desiredto openthe safe door, the" locking'bolt is moved ina direction to un- 1' '100 lever 33 to l the left, thereby releasing the bolt 11%,,andthe'latter'is then moved up by! 'spring'1-5, and releases the balance wheel 9%;

and starts the movement to running. --In moving'arm 33 to theleft as the inclined end 41 strikes the pin 42, it depresses the lever 33 sufliciently to allow lug 40 to release pin 35, whereupon spring 39 acts to move arm 36back 1until -it strikes the bolt 11 and ready t'o' ;engagefthe end of bolt 11, when the latter shallagain be moved down to set the device. When the bolt 31 is again pushedto the right to lock the door, the lug 4O rides freely under the pin 35 as the lever 33 is moved to the right, and the parts'then assume the position shown in Fig. 6.

WhatIclaim is:

1. In combination, a door adapted to turn about its axis, a bolt for locking the door, time controlled mechanism for the bolt, means to hold said mechanism against op- 'eration when the bolt is in looking position,

and means operative byturning of the door to release the mechanism-holding means, so

thencommences to run and when run down of the door to release the mechanism-holding means so that said mechanism can operate to release the bolt.

3. In combination with a time lock movement including its balance Wheel, a flexible device, means supporting the flexible device in a position bearing lightly against said balance Wheel to normally restrain said balance wheel and movement from running,

and means operated by'a movable part onthe safe for moving said flexible device to release the balance Wheel and permit the movement to run. V

4. In combination With a time lock movement and its balance Wheel, a spring pressed bolt, a spring carried by said bolt and adapted to yieldingly engage said balance Wheel to normally restrain the movement from running, and means operated by a movable part on the safe for normally holding said bolt from movement, and for releasing said bolt when said movable part is actuated.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 20th day of June, 1914.

HERBERT C. STOCKWELL.

In presence of JosHUA B. WEBSTER, NABEL G. BOARD. 

